LOTUS FLOWER

JOGYESA TEMPLE, SEOUL, KOREA

IMAGE NUMBER 937

Jogyesa Temple in Seoul is surrounded by Lotus Flowers.  The paper lanterns behind this flower are votive offerings purchased by the faithful and displayed on racks.  The Jogyesa Temple is one of the most important Buddhist temples in Korea and a symbol of Korean Buddhism. It is located in the heart of the city.

TECHNICAL NOTES

The image was taken with a tripod-mounted Phase One 645XF Camera at ISO 50. Exposure of 1/6th of a second and an aperture of f16.  Schneider Kreuznach 150mm lens with leaf shutter.   The image was captured on a Phase One IQ3 100 megapixel digital back.  

JOGYESA TEMPLE

SEOUL, KOREA

IMAGE NUMBER 934

Jogyesa Temple is one of the most important Buddhist temples in Korea and a symbol of Korean Buddhism. It is located in the heart of the city near Insadong. Since 1936 it has been the head temple of the first district of the Jogye Order of Korea Buddhism.

The temple was first established in 1395, at the start of the Joseon Dynasty. The modern temple was established in 1910.

TECHNICAL NOTES

The image was taken with a tripod-mounted Phase One 645 Camera at ISO 50. Exposure of 1/8th of a second and aperture F22.   45 mm Phase One lens with focal plane shutter. The image was captured on a Phase One IQ3 100 megapixel digital back.  

HANOI BAR

THE OLD QUARTER, HANOI

Image number 869

As the oldest continuously developed area of Vietnam, Hanoi's Old Quarter has a history that spans 2,000 years and represents the eternal soul of the city.  Because inhabitants of each street came from the same village, streets developed a homogeneous look. Commoners' homes evolved out of market stalls, before streets were formed. Because storekeepers were taxed according to the width of their storefront, storage and living space moved to the rear of the buildings. Consequently, the long and narrow buildings were called "tube houses." Typical measurements for such houses are 3 meters wide by 60 meters long.

TECHNICAL NOTES

The image was taken with a tripod-mounted Phase One 645 Camera at ISO 35. Exposure of half a second and aperture F8.  45 mm Phase One lens with focal plane shutter.   The image was captured on a Phase One IQ180 80 megapixel digital back.  

RAILWAY TRESTLE

PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA

IMAGE NUMBER 664c

In 1883 the Pittsburgh City Council required the Pittsburgh Junction railway to elevate their railroad on a trestle with 37 spans above 33rd street.  The trestle then leads to the Allegheny River bridge.  The railway is now disused and the tracks have been removed, but the trestles remain.  Interestingly, Uber's Pittsburgh technology centre is located on the Allegheny River adjacent to the trestles - Uber's driverless cars circulate beneath the trestles to and from the Uber facililty.  While taking these images, security staff from Uber insisted (unsucessfully) that Atticus should delete his images.

TECHNICAL NOTES

The image was taken with a tripod-mounted Phase One 645 Camera at ISO 200. Exposure of 1/250th of a second and an aperture of F10.  80 mm Schneider Kreuznach lens with leaf shutter.   The image was captured on a Phase One IQ180 80 megapixel digital back.  

PITTSBURG

PENNSYLVANIA, USA

IMAGE NUMBER 655

The Mexican War Streets, originally known as the "Buena Vista Tract", comprise a historic district in the Central Northside neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The district is densely filled with beautifully restored row houses, community gardens and tree-lined streets and alleyways. The area dates from 1848, around the time of the Mexican–American War, and consists largely of row houses, mostly from the Victorian-era.

The Mexican War Streets Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. In that year, the listing was a 27-acre (11 ha) area and there were 119 buildings deemed to contribute to the historic character of the district.  Many of the buildings now have "funky" exteriors.  Fashionable micro breweries are disposessing the black community which had until recently been consigned to Allegheny since it fell out of favour.  This image shows "Randy Land" an eclectic gallery in old-time "dark town", on Jacksonia St Allegheny.  

TECHNICAL NOTES

The image was taken with a tripod-mounted Phase One 645 Camera at ISO 35. Exposure of 1/6th of a second and an aperture of 20.  80 mm Schneider Kreuznach lens with leaf shutter.   The image was captured on a Phase One IQ180 80 megapixel digital back.   

PITTSBURG

USA

IMAGE NUMBER 654

Although Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been remodelled and turned into an East Coast sylicone valley since its steel mills closed, vestiges of the rust belt remain.  These include Pittsburgh's spectacular early C20th sky scrapers which the city could never afford to replace subsequently.  As a result, Pittsburgh has a pocket of unique buildings which have served as a backdrop for many nostalgic and gritty movies, including the Godfather.  They centre around the 4th Ave Historic Precinct, including the Arrott and Commonwealth buildings, all constructed between 1902 and 1906 during the ascendancy of Pittsburgh's greatest son, the steel mogul Andrew Carnegie.  

Atticus worked hard to capture the ghost of the greatest steel town in the world through his inner city images of Pittsburgh.  In particular he managed to exclude any buildings that did not date from the age of steel.  This image in particular aches for a lost age.  It is one of Atticus' favourite images.

IMAGE NOTES

The image was taken with a tripod-mounted Phase One 645 Camera at ISO 35. Exposure of 1/137th of a second and an aperture of f14.  45 mm Phase One wide angle lens with focal plane shutter.   The image was captured on a Phase One IQ180 80 megapixel digital back.   

THE PAINTED LADIES

SAN FRANCISCO, USA

IMAGE NUMBER 651b

One of the most photographed locations in San Francisco, Alamo Square's famous "postcard row" at Hayes and Steiner Streets is a tight, escalating formation of Victorian houses back-dropped by downtown skyscrapers.


The specific architectural details that set the Queen Anne-style Painted Ladies apart from other houses include overhanging eaves and detailed brackets, a round, dominant corner tower, gingerbread-style gables, a small porch covering the primary entrance area, differing wall textures, including patterned wood shingles shaped into varying designs, painted classical columns, spindles and balustrades, cutaway bay windows, and intricate stain-glass paneling.   The Painted Ladies are just seven of 48,000 houses built in the Victorian and Edwardian styles between 1849 and 1915. The switch to building Edwardian houses over Victorians occurred with the death of Queen Victoria in 1901.

TECHNICAL NOTES

The image was taken with a tripod-mounted Phase One 645 Camera at ISO 35. Exposure of 1/28th of a second and an aperture of f22.  80 mm Schneider Kreuznach lens with leaf shutter.   The image was captured on a Phase One IQ180 80 megapixel digital back.  The image has been cropped and straightened using Capture One.  

LA SAGRADA FAMILIA


BARCELONA, SPAIN

IMAGE NUMBER 794

The Basílica i Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família Sagrada (Church of the Holy Family) is a large church in Barcelona, designed by Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí (1852–1926). The building is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and in November 2010 Pope Benedict XVI consecrated it.

 Construction commenced in 1882.   Gaudí devoted his last years to the project, and at the time of his death at age 73 in 1926, less than a quarter of the project was complete.   Construction progressed slowly and was interrupted by the Spanish Civil War, only to resume in the 1950s. Construction passed the midpoint in 2010 with an anticipated completion date of 2026, the centenary of Gaudí's death.    Describing Sagrada Família, art critic Rainer Zerbst said, "It is probably impossible to find a church building anything like it in the entire history of art" and Paul Goldberger describes it as, "The most extraordinary personal interpretation of Gothic architecture since the Middle Ages."

 TECHNICAL NOTES

The image was taken with a hand-held Phase One 645 Camera at ISO 200. Exposure of 1/100th of a second and an aperture of f2.8.  Camera had to be wedged against a column - no tripods allowed. 45 mm Phase One wide angle lens with focal plane shutter.   The image was captured on a Phase One IQ180 80 megapixel digital back.  

POPPIES

CARDONA, NORTHERN SPAIN

IMAGE NUMBER 759

Poppies in a field below the Castle of Cardona in Northern Spain.  The poppies are generally seen throughout Western Europe, but rarely are they permitted to populate in such abundance.  Atticus has previously photographed wild poppies in France but seldom in profusion.

TECHNICAL NOTES

The image was taken with a hand-held Phase One 645 Camera at ISO 200. Exposure of 1/250th of a second and at aperture f9. 150 mm Schneider Kreuznach telephoto lens with leaf shutter.   The image was captured on a Phase One IQ180 80 megapixel digital back.

OLD JEWISH QUARTER

GIRONA, SPAIN

IMAGE NUMBER 726

The city of Girona is located about 100 km north of Barcelona. There are many tourist attractions in this city. The old Jewish ghetto or Call is one of the best preserved in Europe.  This shot, within the old Jewish quarter, is of the street below Atticus' apartment.

TECHNICAL NOTES

The image was taken with a hand-held Phase One 645 Camera at ISO 200. Exposure of 1/125th of a second and an aperture of f8.  45 mm Phase One wide angle lens with focal plane shutter.   The image was captured on a Phase One IQ180 80 megapixel digital back.  

 

 

THE HALL OF THE AMBASSADORS

ALCAZAR PALACE, SEVILLE, SPAIN

IMAGE NUMBER 709

 The Alcázar of Seville is a royal palace in Seville, Spain, originally developed by Moorish Muslim kings. The palace is renowned as one of the most beautiful in Spain, being regarded as one of the most outstanding examples of mudéjar architecture found on the Iberian Peninsula. 

The Salón de los Embajadores (Hall of the Ambassadors) is the largest room in the Alhambra and occupies all the Torre de Comares. It is a square room, the sides being 12 m (37 ft) in length, while the centre of the dome is 23 m (75 ft) high. This was the grand reception room, and the throne of the sultan was placed opposite the entrance. The grand hall projects from the walls of the palace, providing views in three directions.  The tiles are nearly 4 ft (1.2 m) high all round, and the colours vary at intervals.  There are nine windows, three on each facade, and the ceiling is decorated with white, blue and gold inlays in the shape of circles, crowns and stars. The walls are covered with varied stucco works, surrounding many ancient escutcheons.

The upper levels of the Alcázar are still used by the royal family as the official Seville residence and are administered by the Patrimonio Nacional. It is the oldest royal palace still in use in Europe, and was registered in 1987 by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, along with the Seville Cathedral and the General Archive of the Indies.  The Alcazar is a monumental complex that retains seven hectares of gardens and seventeen thousand square meters of buildings, was an authentic military acropolis that brought together several palaces and urban defenses still preserved that cover a wide chronological area between the 11th and 16th centuries. 

TECHNICAL NOTES

The image was taken with a tripod-mounted Phase One 645 Camera at ISO 35. Exposure of 25 seconds and an aperture of f14.  45 mm Phase One wide angle lens with focal plane shutter.   The image was captured on a Phase One IQ180 80 megapixel digital back.  

THE HALL OF THE AMBASSADORS

THE ALCAZAR, SEVILLE, SPAIN

IMAGES NUMBERS 707 (TOP) AND 708 (BOTTOM)

 The Alcázar of Seville is a royal palace in Seville, Spain, originally developed by Moorish Muslim kings. The palace is renowned as one of the most beautiful in Spain, being regarded as one of the most outstanding examples of mudéjar architecture found on the Iberian Peninsula. 

The Salón de los Embajadores (Hall of the Ambassadors) is the largest room in the Alhambra and occupies all the Torre de Comares. It is a square room, the sides being 12 m (37 ft) in length, while the centre of the dome is 23 m (75 ft) high. This was the grand reception room, and the throne of the sultan was placed opposite the entrance. The grand hall projects from the walls of the palace, providing views in three directions.  The tiles are nearly 4 ft (1.2 m) high all round, and the colours vary at intervals.  There are nine windows and the ceiling is decorated with white, blue and gold inlays in the shape of circles, crowns and stars. The walls are covered with varied stucco works, surrounding many ancient escutcheons.

The upper levels of the Alcázar are still used by the royal family as the official Seville residence and are administered by the Patrimonio Nacional. It is the oldest royal palace still in use in Europe, and was registered in 1987 by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, along with the Seville Cathedral and the General Archive of the Indies.   

TECHNICAL NOTES

The images were taken with a tripod-mounted Phase One 645 Camera at ISO 35. Exposure of 30 seconds and an aperture of f22.  45 mm Phase One wide angle lens with focal plane shutter.   The image was captured on a Phase One IQ180 80 megapixel digital back.  

THE ALCAZAR PALACE

SEVILLE, SPAIN

IMAGE NUMBER 706

The Alcázar of Seville is a royal palace in Seville, Spain, originally developed by Moorish Muslim kings. The palace is renowned as one of the most beautiful in Spain, being regarded as one of the most outstanding examples of mudéjar architecture found on the Iberian Peninsula. The upper levels of the Alcázar are still used by the royal family as the official Seville residence and are administered by the Patrimonio Nacional. It is the oldest royal palace still in use in Europe, and was registered in 1987 by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, along with the Seville Cathedral and the General Archive of the Indies.  The Alcazar is a monumental complex that retains seven hectares of gardens and seventeen thousand square meters of buildings.  It was an authentic military acropolis that brought together several palaces and urban defenses still preserved that cover a wide chronological area between the 11th and 16th centuries. 

TECHNICAL NOTES

The image was taken with a tripod-mounted Phase One 645 Camera at ISO 35. Exposure of 60 seconds and at aperture f22. 150 mm Schneider Kreuznach telephoto lens with leaf shutter.   The image was captured on a Phase One IQ180 80 megapixel digital back.

THE ALHAMBRA PALACE

GRANADA, SPAIN

IMAGE NUMBER 681

Completed towards the end of Muslim rule of Spain by Yusuf I (1333–1353), the Alhambra is a reflection of the culture of the last centuries ofMoorish rule.  The Alhambra integrates natural site qualities with constructed structures and gardens, and is a testament to Moorish culture in Spain.  The literal translation of Alhambra, "the red (female)," reflects the color of the red clay of the surroundings of which the fort is made. The buildings of the Alhambra were originally whitewashed; however, the buildings as seen today are reddish.  The decoration within the palaces comes from the last great period of Andalusian art in Granada.  The Alhambra is a UNESCO world heritage site.   Access to the main palace is limited to 300 people per hour; bookings need to be made in advance.

TECHNICAL NOTES

The image was taken with a rested hand-held Phase One 645 Camera at ISO 100. Exposure of 1/15th of a second and an aperture of f12.  45 mm Phase One wide angle lens with focal plane shutter.   The image was captured on a Phase One IQ180 80 megapixel digital back.  

HALL OF THE ABENCERRAGES

THE ALHAMBRA PALACE, GRANADA, SPAIN

IMAGE NUMBER 679

Completed towards the end of Muslim rule of Spain by Yusuf I (1333–1353), the Alhambra reflects the culture of the last centuries ofMoorish rule.  The Alhambra integrates natural site qualities with constructed structures and gardens, and is a testament to Moorish culture in Spain.  The literal translation of Alhambra, "the red (female)," reflects the color of the red clay of the surroundings of which the fort is made. The buildings as seen today are reddish.  The decoration comes from the last great period of Andalusian art in Granada.  The Alhambra is a UNESCO world heritage site.  

The Hall of the Abencerrages derives its name from a legend according to which the father of Boabdil, the last sultan of Granada, having invited the chiefs of that line to a banquet, massacred them here.   This room is a perfect square, with a lofty dome and trellised windows at its base. The roof is decorated in blue, brown, red and gold, and the columns supporting it spring out into the arch form in a remarkably beautiful manner. Opposite to this hall is the Sala de las dos Hermanas (Hall of the two Sisters).   There is a fountain in the middle of this hall, and the roof — a dome honeycombed with tiny cells, all different, and said to number 5000 — is an example of the "stalactite vaulting" of the Moors.  

TECHNICAL NOTES

The image was taken with a hand-held Phase One 645 Camera at ISO 800. Exposure of 1/15th of a second and an aperture of f12.  45 mm Phase One wide angle lens with focal plane shutter.   The image was captured on a Phase One IQ180 80 megapixel digital back.  

ST-CIRQUE-LAPOPIE

LOT VALLEY, FRANCE

Image Number 232

Saint-Cirq-Lapopie is a commune on the Lot River in south-western France.  It is a member of the “Les Plus Beaux Villages de France”. Its position, originally selected for defence, perched on a steep cliff 100 m above the River Lot has helped make the village a popular tourist destination and the entire town is almost a museum.  After it was "discovered" by the Post-Impressionist Henri Martin, it became popular with other artists and the home of the writer André Breton. Saint-Cirq-Lapopie is 30 km east of Cahors, within the Quercy nature park.    The village sits on the French pilgrimage route – the way of St. James.  Pilgrims pass through en route to Cahors. 

TECHNICAL NOTES

Captured by Atticus Webb on a Zeiss Contax 645 medium format camera with Zeiss 35mm wide angle lens at F16 with an exposure of 1/15th second.    The image was captured on a transparency using Fuji Velvia50 film.  

MELBOURNE BY MOONLIGHT

NEW YEAR'S EVE

IMAGE NUMBER 645

Most images of the Melbourne skyline are made along the Yarra River or from buildings within the city itself.  One of few vantage points which encompass the heart of the city is Pullman Quay West on the south bank of the river west of the art centre.   This shot was captured on New Years Eve 2016 from a balcony on the 23rd floor. 

TECHNICAL NOTES

The image was taken with a tripod-mounted Phase One 645 Camera at ISO 50. Exposure of 1/6thof a second and an aperture of F14.  80 mm Schneider Kreuznach lens with leaf shutter.   The image was captured on a Phase One IQ180 80 megapixel digital back.  

FOUNTAIN, EXHIBITION GARDENS

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA

IMAGE NUMBER 636

Josef Hochgurtel was born in Cologne and trained under Herr Fuels, who modelled the Cologne Cathedral. 

His colossal fountain stands some ten metres high on the south side of the Royal Exhibition Building.. It was constructed in 1880 for the first of Melbourne's two grand international world fairs. The fountain's visual elements were designed to display the young colony's confidence and advancement, simultaneously signalling the purpose of world fairs to display the produce and industry of nations.   Built during Victoria's boom years, the fountain's spouting water, it was thought, would demonstrate the power and success of the recently established Yan Yean project, which brought potable water to the city.

Hochgurtel's fountain remains a great reminder of the glorious days of Marvellous Melbourne.

Technical Notes

The image was taken with a tripod-mounted Phase One 645 Camera at ISO 35. Exposure of 3/5th of a second and at aperture F22. 80 mm Schneider Kreuznach lens with leaf shutter.   The image was captured on a Phase One IQ180 80 megapixel digital back.  

ST KILDA PIER

MELBOURNE AUSTRALIA

IMAGE NUMBER 635

The St Kilda Pavilion is a historic kiosk located at the end of St Kilda Pier in Melbourne.  It was at this pier that the Duke of York's yacht berthed in to declare the federation of the Australian States in 1901.  

The kiosk on the pier was designed by James Charles Morell and built in 1904 by John W. Douglas. In the 1930s it was renamed Kerby's Kiosk. The Kerby family were involved with running the kiosk from 1934 through to 1987.  

On 11 September 2003 the structure was destroyed in an arson attack. After massive public support to rebuild the kiosk it was reconstructed to the original 1903 plans, utilising some of the salvaged components. An additional structure, expanding the capacity was erected directly behind the kiosk and is obscured by the pavilion when viewed from the pier.

Technical Notes

The image was taken with a tripod-mounted Phase One 645 Camera at ISO 100. Exposure of 1/80th of a second and at aperture F22. 150 mm Schneider Kreuznach telephoto lens with leaf shutter.   The image was captured on a Phase One IQ180 80 megapixel digital back.